Arrests before Freedom Day

Activists detained in Vitsebsk, who invited citizens to celebrate the 95th anniversary of Belarusian People Republic’s proclamation.

BPF party activists – the current chairman of the region’s organization Leanid Autukhou and a former head of this structure Kanstanstsin Smolikau – were taken to Vitsebsk’s Kastrychnitski police department. They were handing out leaflets with an invitation to the meeting on March in the Evikom trading center, Radio Svaboda reports.

According to Leanid Autukhou, they decided to hold the event in the Railway Workers’ Park of Culture and Recreation in any case – even is the district’s authorities do not give permission:

“They have not sent me a response to my application. But I believe that we need to hold the event regardless of the decision of the administration of Railway district. We are a registered party, we have the right to express our position. We explained that to the Evikom’s security and to the policemen”.

Two meetings were planned to be held in Vitsebsk on 25 March. One organized by BPF party activists, another one – on the initiative of the head of the region’s affiliate of the Movement for Freedom Khrystafor Zhalapau and a social-democrat Alaksej Haurucikau, Mikalaj Statkevich’s party-mate. Zhalapau and Haurucikau received a rejection from the administration of Pershamaiski district: they were informed that on 25 March there will be no place for their meeting in the park of All-Union Leninist Young Communist League’s 30th Anniversary since sporting events will be held there from 15.00 to 19.00.

We would remind that a meeting and procession on the occasion of the Freedom Day were permitted in Minsk. The gathering of participants will start at 12.00 on 24 March near the Oktiabr cinema. The procession is planned to follow Surhanava street to Peoples’ Friendship Park, where a meeting will take place from 14.00 to 15.00.

Archive photo